Hello Fish Market Weekend

I went to Sky Park with Joey for the Eulalia Festival celebrating the reed that we think is called a Eulalia. There were a few stairs to climb but the view from the top was really nice. We got to see some insects and discuss all the beauty of the reeds peacefully swaying in the background, wind turbines lazily spinning with the fall breeze. We were to lucky to get there early and avoid the noise of the crowds.

So, of course it was easy to forget that the hill nearly 300 stairs high used to be a landfill. I guess it still is – the gas trapped directly underneath the park is harnessed at a nearby plant and turned to energy for the home below. Neat and interesting yes but there’s still something a little jarring about seeing the gas wells amongst the beauty of the reeds and wildlife.

Jarring? What am I saying? Those gas wells had nothing compared to my next excursion. I met up with a fellow NSET and we made our way to a fish market where we hoped to find suitable groceries for a fresh Korean meal. Somewhere on line 8 we found it, a huge gap of land layered with shallow vegetable ad fruit stands surrounded by large city buildings.

After some searching, we came upon the red meat shack – where one supposedly walks up to the shopkeep and purchases a rack of this, a flank of that or whatever. The place was a scene straight out of a horror movie, a movie like SAW. Dangling from the ceiling was bloody meat on hooks, which I expected, however I did not expect the floor to be slick with blood and entrails, the various employees covered in blood and even taking naps surrounded by the stuff and a wretched smell. The smell. Never have I encountered a smell and my instinct was so strong to run away that I could think of nothing else. A screeching bandsaw and ominous red lighting really completed what I believe to be the perfect nightmare.

At some point, we escape and make it to the fish version of the same kind of place. It’s dank and hazy. Women shouted at us while shaking live fish in our general direction.

I lovingly called this place the inverse aquarium as it was indeed the exact opposite of the place I visited last weekend. I imagine that all bad fish serve sentences here. The tanks are small and crowded, with both live and dead fish. The fish market is huge and everywhere are fish, shellfish, and various sea life I didn’t think was edible. All animals were making furtive but ultimately futile attempts at escape. Something’s on fire…and the smell is…well I have to burn those clothes probably. Here are pictures:

I wanted to take more but just couldn’t; you might liken it to taking pictures at a funeral…it just isn’t done.